Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Ashes 2023: England trail by 195 runs after rollercoaster day

Australia all out for 263 as Wood takes 5-34

Ashes 2023: England trail by 195 runs after rollercoaster day

ON another sensational day of Ashes action, the pendulum swinging this way and that, it was difficult to call who had the advantage as England finished day one of the pivotal third Test on 68-3, having bowled Australia out for 263 at Headingley.

Thursday's (6) action had everything. A boisterous crowd keen to let their feelings be known that they still feel wronged from a controversial second test at Lord's, missed chances, returning heroes, big hitting, a superb century and 13 wickets.


But it remains anyone's game as England trail by 195 runs.

Forgotten man Mitchell Marsh's hundred had dragged the tourists back into the contest after they had been struggling on 85-4, before a blistering spell of bowling from Mark Wood (5-34) had the crowd off their seats.

Wood's first international five-wicket haul in England, on his first appearance in the format this year, helped the hosts take the final six Australian wickets for 23 runs.

At that point, England looked to be in the ascendancy in a match they have to win to prevent Australia retaining the Ashes with two games to spare.

However, the dismissals of both openers Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, along with new number three Harry Brook, before the close of play left the hosts feeling like they had missed another opportunity in this tightly-contested series.

"It is a special feeling, to get five wickets," Wood said. "I was chomping at the bit to get going.

"I was most pleased I was able to move the ball and that is what got me the wickets today. The top players in the world play fast balls well, so I think it is that movement that made the difference.

"The partnership that Marsh and Travis Head had dragged them back into it but if the sun is out tomorrow and we can bat well we can get it back in our favour."

Back from injury, Wood showed no rustiness in a hostile first spell, where he took the wicket of Usman Khawaja (13) with a 95 mph ball that broke the stump.

Stuart Broad already had David Warner's number for the 16th time in his test career, finding the opener's edge in the first over to send him packing for four runs before Khawaja and Marnus Labuschagne (21), who has struggled to find his best form, fell.

The key wicket of Steve Smith (22) before lunch had England firmly in command but Marsh, playing in first test for Australia since 2019 in place of the injured Cameron Green, came in from the cold to put the tourists in the driving seat once more.

His third test century, all of which have come against England, in a 155-run partnership with Travis Head, left the famously feisty Western Terrace stand flat, before Marsh (118) was caught in the final over before tea.

Marsh was dropped on 12, one of five good chances put down by England, but Wood's final spell, where he took four wickets for five runs from 16 balls again shifted the momentum in the hosts' favour.

Bowling out captain Pat Cummins and forcing wicketkeeper Alex Carey into a hook shot that was caught pleased the crowd, who have not forgotten the role both played in the controversial stumping of Jonny Bairstow in the second test at Lord's, an incident England insisted was not in the "spirit of the game".

Despite his every touch of the ball being booed, Cummins remained undeterred, taking the wickets of opener Duckett (2) and Brook (3) early in the England innings before Crawley (33) gave all-rounder Marsh his first wicket of the game.

Local lads Joe Root and Bairstow steered England through to the close without any further damage, setting things up nicely for another breathless day on Friday (7).

(Reuters)

More For You

Corbyn- Zarah Sultana

Zarah Sultana with Jeremy Corbyn during a protest outside Downing Street demanding the UK government to stop all arms sales to Israel. (Photo: X/@zarahsultana)

X/@zarahsultana

Zarah Sultana leaves Labour, plans new party with Corbyn and independents

FORMER Labour MP Zarah Sultana has announced her resignation from the party and plans to launch a new political party alongside ex-Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and other independent MPs and activists.

Sultana, who represents Coventry South, lost the Labour whip last year for supporting the removal of the two-child benefit cap.

Keep ReadingShow less
Human brain continues forming neurons

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain

iStock

Human brain continues forming neurons well into old age, study finds

Key points

  • New neurons continue forming in the brain’s hippocampus into old age
  • Study confirms presence of neural progenitor cells in adults
  • DNA carbon dating and single-nucleus RNA sequencing were used
  • Research shows variation in neuron production between individuals
  • Findings could aid treatments for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders

Human brain shows ongoing neuron formation into older age

A new study has confirmed that the human brain continues to produce new nerve cells well into late adulthood, challenging previous assumptions about age-related decline in neurogenesis. The findings, published in the journal Science, provide fresh insight into how adaptable the brain remains over a lifetime.

Neurogenesis, the process by which new neurons form in the brain, is known to occur in the hippocampus — a region involved in memory. While previous research has suggested that this process continues throughout life, there has been limited concrete evidence of the presence of neural progenitor cells in the adult brain.

Keep ReadingShow less
 Michael Madsen

Michael Madsen’s top 10 unforgettable movie roles

Getty Images

10 iconic Michael Madsen roles that made him Hollywood’s ultimate tough guy

Quick highlights:

  • Michael Madsen was known for blending menace with vulnerability across a 200-film career.
  • His breakout role as Mr Blonde in Reservoir Dogs remains one of the most iconic villains in cinema.
  • Roles in Kill Bill and Donnie Brasco cemented his status as a cult favourite and Tarantino regular.
  • He also surprised audiences with emotional performances in Free Willy and Thelma & Louise.

Some actors chase stardom. Michael Madsen wasn’t one of them. He didn’t charm you with a smile; he unnerved you with a stare. His voice wasn’t smooth; it was gravel scraped over concrete. He played men who lived in the shadows, spoke in grunts or chillingly calm threats, and carried violence like a familiar tool. But damn, when he was on screen, you couldn’t look away.

Madsen didn’t act tough; he was tough, and not in the movie-star sense. In a real, broken, beautiful way. These 10 roles aren’t just career highlights. They’re pieces of a man who gave us something rare: the truth, hidden in hard men with soft edges.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

Workers are engaged at their sewing stations in a garment factory in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on April 9, 2025. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

BANGLADESH, the world's second-biggest garment manufacturer, aims to strike a trade deal with the US before Donald Trump's punishing tariffs kick in next week, said the country's top commerce official.

Dhaka is proposing to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, which Trump used as the reason for imposing painful levies in his "Liberation Day" announcement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kent County Show 2025

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley

Getty Images

Kent County Show opens with royal visit from Duchess of Edinburgh

Key points:

  • Day one of the Kent County Show begins at Detling Showground near Maidstone
  • The Duchess of Edinburgh visits the event for the first time in 16 years
  • Organisers expect up to 70,000 visitors over the weekend
  • Farming and rural life are at the centre of the three-day programme
  • Highlights include live camel racing, equine sports, livestock displays and more

Kent County Show opens with royal visit

The Kent County Show returned to Detling near Maidstone on Friday, marking the start of a major three-day celebration of farming, food, and rural living. The event opened with a special visit from the Duchess of Edinburgh, who is attending for the first time in 16 years.

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, who grew up in Brenchley near Tunbridge Wells and serves as patron of the Association of Show and Agricultural Organisations (ASAO), met with farmers, equine exhibitors, and local businesses on her tour of the showground.

Keep ReadingShow less